Los Angeles Rams: Who Should Be In A Ring Of Honor at So-Fi Stadium

The Los Angeles Rams will be opening up at the brand new So-Fi stadium this year and for the first time since moving to Los Angeles, they will have their own stadium. Yes, the team will be sharing with the Chargers, but this will be considered the Rams’ stadium.

Now that they do have their own stadium, that gives the Los Angeles Rams a unique opportunity. For the first time since the move, they will be able to truly recognize the great players that have come through the organization whether it be through a team Hall of Fame or Ring of Honor.

In St. Louis, the team had a ‘Ring of Fame” in which they strictly recognized Hall of Famers except of Jack Snow who was honored upon his death. The team also hung jersey banners from the rafters for player’s jerseys who were retured in the organization. It’ll be interesting to see if the team

With all that said, here’s who the Los Angeles Rams should put on a Ring of Honor at So-Fi Stadium.

The Requirements

When it comes to a Ring of Honor or Ring of Fame, there needs to be a set of requirements met by a player. Every good player in franchise history can’t be a member of the right of honor.

Hall of Famers

Players in the Hall of Fame should get automatic induction into a ring of honor. These are players that were not only all-time greats for the team, but also the entire league. In St. Louis, the ring of honor was reserved strictly for Hall of Famers.

Pro Bowls & All-Pro Recognition

If a player is to be considered for a ring of honor, they should have been considered one of the great players in the league while they played. This would separate players that may have been just good for an organization, but weren’t great NFL players which is who you want to honor in a Ring of Fame. A player should have had to make at least one Pro Bowl, but three should be considered a minimum. A first-team all-pro recongition should be favored but not recquired.

Playoff Experience

A Ring of Honor should definitely have playoff experience covered. If a team made the playoffs, it means the team was good during that period and if a player was on those teams, it means they had an impact on that success. Players that help a team get to the playoffs and have franchise success, should get honored.

Franchise Greats

Many players maybe don’t get the Pro Bowl or All-Pro recognition, but end up as franchise greats. Jack Snow made just one Pro Bowl, but ended his career third all-time in career receiving yards and his 6,012 receiving yards ranked 30th in NFL history. There are several players like Snow that are great for an organization, but not necessarily considered league greats.

Great Moments

Many times players are remembered by their “moments”. Players like Mike Jones have “The tackle”. Ricky Proehl sent the Rams to the Super Bowl with his catch in the NFC Championship against the Buccaneers. Greg Zuerlein has his kick that sent the Rams to the Super Bowl against the Saints. While these players maybe won’t get into the Hall of Fame or get recognition in a Pro Bowl, that doens’t mean they shouldn’t get honored.

Intangibles

These are things that can’t be measured, but if a player showed character, gratitude, vision, passion, courage, faith, competitive spirit, and humility during an extended period with the franchise, they should get considered for the ring of honor.

The Obvious Choices

Bob Waterfield

Norm Van Brocklin

Eric Dickerson

Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch

Les Richter

Tom Fears

Tom Mack

Merlin Olsen

Deacon Jones

Jack Youngblood

Isaac Bruce

Kurt Warner

Orlando Pace

Marshall Faulk

Jackie Slater

Kevin Greene

Aeneas Williams

Dick Vermeil

Dan Reeves

Carroll Rosenbloom

These are the “Hall of Famers”. If there is a Ring of Honor at So-Fi Stadium, the list of players recongized begins with these 19 players. These players are not only Rams great, but greats in the league. If anybody should get recongized, its this group.

The ‘Should Get Recognized’

Jack Snow

Torry Holt

Eddie Meador

Nolan Cromwell

Les Richter

Rich Saul

Roman Gabriel

Jack Snow only made one Pro Bowl, but he’s one of the all-time great players to come through the franchise and was honored on the St. Louis Rams Ring of Honor after his death. The rest of these players are all all-time great players and fringe Hall of Famers. Meador, Saul, and Cromwell are all on the franchise’s all-40th and all-75th anniversary teams.

Holt and Richter each made more than seven Pro bowls while Holt made the 2000’s All-Decade team.

The Elites

Dennis Harrah

Isiah Robertson

Charlie Cowan

Jack Reynolds

These four are elite players that ran through the franchise. Harrah and Cowan each made the Los Angeles Rams’ All-40th Anniversary team while Reynolds made the team’s 75th. Robertson was a force on defense as the Rams made the playoffs in all but one of the seasons that he was on the team.

The “Great Rams”

Doug Smith (6x PB, 14 years with Rams)

Steven Jackson (3x PB, 2x2nd team)

LeRoy Irvin (4x PB 2x 2nd team, 2x 1st team)

Joe Scibelli (Entire career with Rams, helped lead Rams in rushing)

Riley Matheson (2x All pro, All 75th)

Pete Holohan – Great Ram

James Laurinaitis – Great Ram

Leonard Little – Great Ram

Jim Everett – Great Ram

Doug Smith and Joe Scibelli are two Rams at heart type players. Both offensive linemen spent their entire careers with the Rams. Steven Jackson played hard through some of the worst years in franchise history. The team certainly didn’t lose because of him. James Laurinaitis is the franchise leader in tackles while Little leads the franchise in all-time sacks and Everett still holds several of the franchise’s passing records. Lastly, while Holohan isn’t a great tight end, in his years with the Rams he was top five in the league among tight ends in receptions and yards.

The “Great Moments”

Ricky Proehl

MIke Jones

Dick “Night Train” Lane

Flipper Anderson

Rams history doesn’t get told without these players despite them not necessarily being “Great Rams”. Proehl didn’t catch a single pass until the NFC Championship game and sent the Rams to the Super Bowl. Mike Jones’ tackle avoids the Super Bowl going to overtime and wins the game for the Rams.

While Lane only played two seasons with the Rams, his 14 interceptions as a rookie is still a league record as is Flipper Anderson’s record-setting 336 receiving yards in a single game.

Conclusion

This list would give the Rams 43 names on a Ring of Honor which is pretty similar to other teams in the league. The Washington Redskins have 51 names on theirs. The Rams have taken some criticism for not recognizing their former great players enough. However, adding a ring of honor to remember the franchise’s great players and deep history, is a great way to do that.

Leave a Reply

Connect with

I allow to create an account

When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.

DisagreeAgree

This comment form is under antispam protection

This comment form is under antispam protection

Subscribe

Notify of

Downtown Rams Podcast

Please leave this field empty

First name

Email *

We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible. Read our Privacy Policy.